Reformable Closure Device Strap

ABSTRACT

A strap for a mechanical closure device is disclosed. The strap includes a wire disposed along a longitudinal axis of the strap. The wire maintains the strap in a desired geometry that is different from a previous geometry of the strap. In other embodiments, a wire-core strap can include transverse ridges, holes, or other types of grooves or apertures.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to mechanical closure systems,and more particularly to a preformed strap that is reformable by a userinto a desired geometry that is different from an original geometry.

Mechanical closure systems are used extensively in the sports, medicaland transportation industries. These closure systems typically useplastic strap such as a ladder strap. A ladder strap is formed with, atop side that includes a number of transverse ridges that aresequentially engaged by a latching mechanism. In the sports industry,for example, mechanical closure systems are used in harnessing deviceson such items as snowboard bindings, ski boots, wake board bindings andinline skates.

For most applications, conventional straps such as ladder straps arepurposely preformed with a curved geometry where the top side is convexand a bottom side is concave, so as to enclose around an object such asa foot or limb, or a part of a device. Alternatively, conventionalstraps are preformed flat and straight, with no curvature. However,regardless of an original geometry, conventional straps are made toresiliently return to that original geometry.

The preformed geometry of conventional straps can interfere with easyingress and egress of an object in a mechanical closure system. In fact,conventional straps may become bent unnaturally by the object or caughton a sharp edge of a device onto which the object is held or enclosed.In the sport of snowboarding, for example, a user needs to manually holdopen a padded boot enclosure system in order to step into a binding, andvery often in inclement environments. The straps, in their originalgeometry, may be stepped on or held too far beyond a desired or usefulgeometry, leading to breakages or weakening of the straps.

SUMMARY

This document discloses improved plastic straps for mechanical closuresystems, and systems and devices employing the same.

In one aspect, a closure apparatus includes a strap. The strap includesa wire disposed along a longitudinal axis of the strap. The wiremaintains the strap in a desired geometry that is different from aprevious geometry of the strap. In other aspects, a wire-core strap caninclude transverse ridges, holes, or other types of grooves orapertures.

According to a specific aspect, a mechanical closure device includes anelongated thermoplastic ladder strap having a top face that includes anumber of transverse ridges and an aperture. The mechanical closuredevice further includes a U-shaped metal wire embedded in the ladderstrap that partially circumscribes the aperture and extends in parallelalong a major portion of a longitudinal axis of the ladder strap, theU-shaped wire being adapted to maintain the ladder strap in a desiredgeometry that is different from a previous geometry of the ladder strap.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanyingdrawings and the description below. Other features and advantages willbe apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects will now be described in detail with referenceto the following drawings.

FIG. 1 depicts a snow sport binding mechanism.

FIGS. 2A-C are various views of a ladder strap.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate alternative embodiments of a closure device.

FIG. 4 depicts an inline skate having a closure device.

Like reference symbols in the various drawings indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

This document describes closure devices. In particular, this documentdescribes a wire-core strap that is bendable from an original orenclosing geometry to a desired or opened geometry, enhancing the safetyand ease of use of such closure devices. The embedded wire providestensile strength and an ability to maintain a form or a bend into adesired geometry, and resists reforming the strap into its previousgeometry without external influence. These straps can be embodied asladder straps, also called ratchet straps, which can be used formechanical closure systems in sports (bindings for snowboards,snowshoes, in-line roller skates, etc.), medical (orthotics,prosthetics, stabilization boots, spinal stabilizers, etc.), andtransportation (car-top carrier systems or roof racks, etc.)applications. Other applications are possible and within the scope ofthis document.

FIG. 1 shows a snowboard binding 100 to illustrate one application of aclosure device in accordance with embodiments herein. The snowboardbinding 100 includes a rigid base 50, a rigid foot and heel supportmember 60 extending up from opposing sides of the base 50, and apivotable back ankle support member 70 connected to the rigid foot andheel support member 60.

The snowboard binding 100 further includes one or more padded mechanicalclosure systems for enclosing a boot or foot of a user. Each mechanicalclosure system can include one or more ladder straps 102. Each ladderstrap 102 includes a top side 104, at least a portion of which can havea number of transverse ridges that can be sequentially engaged by alocking tang of a ratcheting receptor 106. Each ladder strap 102includes a wire (not shown), either embedded within the strap ordisposed thereon, that allow the ladder straps 102 to be maintained in ageometry 103 that is different from a preformed geometry. Thus, thepadded part of the mechanical closure system can also be held in an openposition 101 as well, for easy ingress and egress of a boot into and outof the snowboard binding 100.

FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of a closure device 200 that is formedaccording to preferred embodiments described herein. FIG. 2B is a sideview along the longitudinal axis L of the closure device 200, and FIG.2C is a top-down view onto the top face 204 of the closure device 200.The closure device 200, includes an elongated ladder strap 202 having atop face 204 that includes one or more transverse ridges 206. Thetransverse ridges 206 are for engaging with a tang of a ratchetingreceptor. Alternative embodiments of a closure device 200 include astrap with a smooth top face 204, with any number of holes or groovesfor engaging a receptor mechanism, as is described with reference toFIGS. 3A and 3B.

The ladder strap 202 may also include an aperture 208 that is preferablypositioned and aligned in the middle of one end of the ladder strap 202.The ladder strap 202 can be any length, width or thickness, but must beformed of a material of such thickness and density so as to be bendableto various geometries. Preferably, the ladder strap 202 is longer in alongitudinal axis (L) than a transverse axis (T) so as to be elongated.

The closure device 200 further includes a wire 210 embedded within theladder strap 202. In an exemplary embodiment, the wire 210 includes is aU-shaped metal wire having two parallel arms. The U-shaped metal wirecan be positioned to at least partially circumscribe the aperture 208for additional strength near the aperture 208, such that the arms extendin parallel along a major portion of a longitudinal axis L of the ladderstrap 202. The wire 210 is adapted to maintain the ladder strap 202 in adesired geometry that is different from a previous geometry. Forexample, in a snowboard binding as shown in FIG. 1, the closure device200 can be opened away from the base to allow a user easy and catch-freeingress into and egress from the binding.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate alternative embodiments of a closure device300 and 301, respectively. The closure devices 300 and 301 include astrap 302 having one or more holes 304 through the strap 302. The straps302 are generally flat and elongated, but can be of any length, width orthickness. The holes 304 are preferably centered and uniformly spaced,and generally rounded. However, the holes 304 can be positioned anywherewithin the strap 302, and may include an elongated slat 305 as shown inthe strap 301 of FIG. 3B.

A geometry of the strap 302 is maintained by a wire 306 that ispreferably embedded in the strap. The wire 306 can include generallyparallel arms connected to a U-shaped portion 307 of the wire. TheU-shaped portion 307 can be positioned at a periphery of one end of thestrap, and may at least partially circumscribe an aperture 310 providedat that end, so as to provide further strengthening of the end of thestrap.

FIG. 4 shows an inline skate 400 to illustrate yet another applicationof the closure devices described herein. The inline skate 400 includes ashoe 402 to receive a skater's foot, the shoe being mounted on a numberof aligned wheels 404. The shoe can be enclosed around a skater's footand ankle by engaging a ladder strap 406 into a receptor mechanism 408.When not so engaged, each ladder strap 406 includes a wire disposedalong a longitudinal axis so that the strap can be bent outwardly andmaintained in an open geometry as shown, so that a skater may insert orremove their foot without catching it on the ladder straps 406.

In preferred embodiments, each strap is formed of thermoplastic orthermoplastic polyurethanes that can withstand shock and adverse weatherconditions and wild swings in temperature. In specific preferredembodiments, straps are formed of a thermoplastic polyester elastomer,such as Hytrel®, to provide the flexibility of rubbers, the strength ofplastics, and the processibility of thermoplastics. The straps can bemade using any thermoplastic processes like injection molding, extrusionand meltcasting.

Although a few embodiments have been described in detail above, othermodifications are possible. For example, the wire may be bonded orotherwise attached to a surface of the strap, and need not necessarilybe embedded within the core of the strap. Other embodiments may bewithin the scope of the following claims.

1. A closure apparatus comprising: an elongated strap having at leastone aperture at one end; and a wire embedded in the strap, the wirehaving a U-shaped bend that partially circumscribes the at least oneaperture about a first axis and spaced-apart parallel arms that extendin parallel along a major portion of a longitudinal axis of the strap,the spaced-apart parallel arms being reformable about a second axis thatis orthogonal to the first axis to temporarily maintain the strap in adesired geometry that is different from a previous geometry of thestrap.
 2. The closure apparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein thestrap is formed of a thermoplastic, and wherein the wire is formed of ametal.
 3. The closure apparatus in accordance with claim 2, wherein thethermoplastic is a thermoplastic polyester elastomer.
 4. The closureapparatus in accordance with claim 1, wherein the strap includes a topface, and at least a portion of the top face including a plurality oftransverse ridges.
 5. The closure apparatus in accordance with claim 1,wherein the longitudinal axis of the strap is more than twice the lengthof a transverse axis.
 6. A strap for a mechanical closure system, thestrap comprising: a flexible body and a wire embedded in and disposedalong a longitudinal axis of the flexible body, the wire for temporarilymaintaining the pliable body in a desired geometry that is differentfrom a previous geometry of the flexible body, the wire having aU-shaped bend about a first axis with spaced-apart arms that extendalong a major portion of the longitudinal axis of the pliable body, thespaced-apart arms being reformable about a second axis that isorthogonal to the first axis.
 7. The strap in accordance with claim 6,wherein the flexible body further comprises a substantially flat topface and a plurality of transverse ridges on the top face.
 8. The strapin accordance with claim 7, wherein flexible body further comprises anaperture through the top face at a first end of the flexible body, andwherein the U-shaped bend of the wire at least partially circumscribesthe aperture.
 9. The strap in accordance with claim 6, wherein theflexible body is formed of a thermoplastic.
 10. The strap in accordancewith claim 6, wherein the flexible body is elongated such that a lengthof the flexible body is more than twice a width of the flexible body.